By Rev. Chuck Currie.The Rev. Chuck Currie is a United Church of Christ minister in Portland, Oregon who blogs at www.chuckcurrie.com. His political views are his own and do not represent the church.

I’m only 40 and already feeling nostalgic for the “good old days.” For over twenty years now I’ve had the good fortune to be involved in a fairly intimate professional sense with members of the Portland City Council. We’ve been blessed with some terrific progressive leaders over the years. Who can forget Bud Clark in his first-term as mayor as he charged through the city working to address homelessness and economic development? For eight years the city was lucky to have Gretchen Kafoury, Portland’s liberal lion, keeping people like Vera Katz in check. Mike Lindberg, with his trusty aide (the late great) Keeston Lowery, worked to solidify Portland as a Mecca for the arts. Erik Sten brought passion and a real brilliance to issues concerning homelessness, energy and campaign finance reform. Tom Potter, whose tenure as mayor was truly underappreciated, made the needs of children a priority and showed that a real grassroots campaign can still beat big money and power in Portland.

Where are the leaders on the Portland City Council today? We have a mortally wounded mayor who cannot truly exercise the powers of his office. Dan Saltzman, a nice guy for sure, will have a legacy because of his Children’s Investment Fund that was established in his first term. Now he’s asking for a third term and I’m wondering what he’s done since his first. Nick Fish is a good bureaucrat but compared to Kafoury and Sten, who both held his housing portfolio in years past, he offers no vision. Amanda Fritz seems content to join the good old boy’s network when the city aches for an independent leader. Randy Leonard? He never would have allowed the current crisis with the Portland Police Bureau to develop if Mayor Adams hadn’t given the police chief veto power over the naming of the police commissioner. Leonard’s toughness is a virtue in a city council adrift and leaderless.

I’m a preacher, not a politician. My deepest concerns aren’t about polls or campaign fundraising (I’d like to see all campaigns publically financed and despair that the current council doesn’t have the guts to keep the program going and instead is taking the easy way out by bowing to the business community and putting the issue up for a vote that the Portland Business Alliance will then spend hundreds of thousands to defeat). What I’m really concerned about is protecting our city’s environment, creating affordable housing, reducing poverty and finding jobs that pay a living wage for all those unemployed. We must make sure that children (particularly homeless children) get a good and decent public education, that our streets are safe and that there is real civilian oversight over the police that defend our city with their lives. And that we retain the progressive spirit that makes Portland such a special place. In theological terms, I want Portland to be a place that cares of those Jesus called the “least of these.”

Right now we desperately need candidates that are bold and visionary. There are some good people running for the city council in 2010 but none of them have the leadership potential to be what we need in this moment of history. Who might fit the bill? Deborah Kafoury, Steve Novick, Karol Collymore, Rich Rodgers, Karin Hansen, and Marshall Runkel are all names that I’d like to see on the ballot – either in 2010 or soon thereafter. These are all people who have already demonstrated passion for our community and the know-how to get things done. A city council made up of folks like these would erase any nostalgia and would make Portlanders excited again about the future.

i'm with TJ. Sam's weakness is in the eyes of the beholder. didn't seem like he was too weak to be invited overseas by those leaders. the question of whether he should be re-elected is a long way off, so why not we all do our part, work with Sam (aka the Mayor of Portland) to deal with issues over the next 3 years. if we simply write him off now, we've done the self-fulfilling prophecy thing. not a good move.

also, i note a couple of names of declared candidates missing from your list. instructive.

I wish the mayor well and hope that he is able to advance an agenda (though he's offered a weak on). But his failure to address the crisis re the police bureau or to advance his environmental agenda shows the lack of influence he has. But I hope he recovers. I opposed the recall. I'm more concerned about the two council seats up in 2010. I did not name of of the people running for those seats because I don't believe they have any chance or the leadership skills we need.

Don't forget the $40 Million PGE Park deal that flopped, and the water bureau computer flop that cost more millions. He was also one who helped various Fat Cats stay on the Gravy Train while his followers pretended that only others did that -- once again, here's a list of big donars to his campaigns:

Come on Rev. Chuck- libertarian Bob Tiernan from Portland posts comments on BO all the time. That's why he signs his name "Bob Tiernan - Portland." The GOP state leader you're referring to is Bob Tiernan from Lake Oswego.

And way to respond to his concerns with an ad hominem. Not very classy.

We have a mortally wounded mayor who cannot truly exercise the powers of his office.

Everyone...and I mean everyone that knows about the inner workings of City Hall knows this statement is patently false. Even most of the reporters that cover City Hall have mentioned it.

Amanda Fritz seems content to join the good old boy’s network when the city aches for an independent leader.

Actually Fritz is pretty independent. She also a very big part of the problem with Portland. She wants to talk something blue in the face rather than actually making it happen.

Tom Potter, whose tenure as mayor was truly underappreciated.

That's one word for it I guess. I think another way to put it was whenever someone disagreed with Potter he took it way to personally and went as far as to declare himself irrelevant and walk out on City Council when he was in the minority. Not exactly the mark of a good mayor.

erase any nostalgia

Funny you mention erasing nostalgia since you seem to have a lot of it.

Leonard’s toughness is a virtue in a city council adrift and leaderless.

I agree with about half of this. I admire Leonard's toughness and his leadership. Our city council is not adrift nor is it leaderless.

"But his failure to address the crisis re the police bureau or to advance his environmental agenda shows the lack of influence he has. But I hope he recovers."

OK, thanks for being specific. I would suggest that his handing off of Police to Saltzman means that any efforts he makes would be (perhaps correctly) seen as micromanaging someone else's Bureau, not having faith in the guy he put in that position, and second guessing.

One irony I found in the recall was that he had supposedly lost all clout, yet the recall apparently failed because too many people were afraid of what would happen to them from Sam if they signed the ballot measure petition. How does a guy without clout have that much clout?

Chuck, I'm not clear what "bold and visionary" issues you are looking for. Of the potential candidates you name that I know of, and as much as I like them all, I can't say that I'd identify even one of them with any particular "bold or visionary" program proposal for city government. Maybe I've forgotten.

I share your concern about public campaign financing and all the wishes you articulate for the city.

Both the City and the Portland School District are current holding public community meetings: the school district on high school redesign and the city on planning for Portland's future (here). While I do not think either process is being bold enough (see the issue I introduce below), I did attended several meetings and have heard our fellow citizens speaking to lots of our shared concerns. And the city and school districts politicians present at those meetings seemed to share those concerns.

I do not see our city as currently responding to the changing global economy. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace recently forecast that "China will become the world's largest economy in 2032, and grow to be 20 percent larger than the United States by 2050. Over the next forty years, nearly 60 percent of G20 economic growth will come from Brazil, China, India, Russia, and Mexico." Jobs require economic growth. Economic growth will increasingly means selling in those international markets. The key for the city is to develop our human capital for international trade, and, at the core of that development, the key is creating strong foreign language and study abroad programs targeted at those emerging markets.

Of course, we should stop the Columbia River Crossing boondogle.

So, I'm eager to hear what the new city council candidates have to say, and what "bold" issues you'd like to see.

The four challengers who filed to date are all shooting for public campaign funds and time is short to gather 1000+ signatures and $5 donations. It's a logistical nightmare. Our entrances must therefore be quite early and has therefore garnered minor attention.

Saltzman and Fish can raise necessary campaign funds with a dozen phone calls. They don't intend on mucking about with the groundlings and won't peek out until late January. Neither want to debate in public, and Saltzman is mortally wounded.

Other challengers may join in, others who have the capacity to raise $200,000+ to win. To source these folks, think about what issue can be leveraged for that amount of non-tax deductible cash.

Since Torrid Joe kinda missed the point of this thread, I think it would benefit readers if he could return and explain why he thinks the Mayor shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of his police department.

Torrid Joe: One irony I found in the recall was that he had supposedly lost all clout, yet the recall apparently failed because too many people were afraid of what would happen to them from Sam if they signed the ballot measure petition. How does a guy without clout have that much clout?

That sure is what I want in a Mayor, Joe! "Too many people [who] were afraid of what would happen to them from Sam if they signed the ballot measure petition." Given that philosophy, I'm thinking Joe might be endorsing Dick Cheney or John Yoo for President in 2012... and I think I know that's not the case.

Seriously, folks, the reverend was making points that it's perfectly fair to challenge but some of the vitriol (Garret and ScaryTail in particular) is completely out of proportion to your perception of his transgressions and/or errors.

You know it's getting bad out there when people on a Blue Blog let Teabaggers set the standard for their discourse.

Chuck for your information I wrote a letter to Tom Potter and cc'ed it to damn near every other politician in this city on the lack of adequate transportation and how improving transportation might put a dent in the poverty situation in Portland. That includes two of the people now sitting on the council. You mentioned them by the way. It included information from a federal study showing how improving transit would help many people.

The letter was ignored. I never received so much as a courtesy reply, so don't count on any great ides coming from anyone in this town The people you mentioned oversaw the destruction of the SRO housing in downtown and they don't give a rat's ass about anything but their legacy.

Excellent post, sticking your neck out with honest sentiments. That'll cop it every time here. At least a learning experience. By now I know it's obvious that in liberal Portland, dealing with the greatest progressives in the country...you need to watch your back!

Posted by: ScaryTail | Dec 12, 2009 2:52:49 PM

I love it when "preachers" venture into politics.

Snicker. Thinks there's a difference!

I love it. Sam's weakness is in the eye of the beholder. So, you think he's as open, blogging and such as before? Yeah, it's in the eye, as in Randy can't look him in it any more. That doesn't weaken him? He didn't support the recall. But now, that's not good enough for doctrinaires.

Well, you have it in a nutshell, here. Rev. Chuck thinks what's good is good for the city, and t.a. thinks closing ranks is good for the city. I single him out because his thought was so clearly what one experiences in dealing with the self justified enlightened ones, a la Sam and Vera.

You want to know how "real" a progressive is, all filters aside? Real progressive thought varies inversely with cronyism. Cronyism as the means to an end betrays the Dem who found a nifty new label. BO is thick with 'em. But then what do we know. For that crowd you don't exist if you don't get waved over by a recognizable face at a trendy-third area restaurant!

I always suspected Collymore was better than she comes across here. On balance, I like your list of newbies.

The Sam affair also is a lesson. Like when someone has been groomed for Mayor, without ever having a real job, he isn't the kind we want. This city can be such a disappointment. I voted for Extremo . Then I had the worst rental experience of my life, living, quite by accident, next door to one of his sons and got to watch Extremo hiding teen girls from his mealticket he calls a wife. Does anyone run that doesn't lvoe a good con? Obviously part of that great soap opera I don't get.

It's a really big, small city. You would think we could get someone that represents the average Portlander in office again!

How about a leader that DOES NOT fall for every crackpot idea that comes along?
20 minute neighborhoods.
Tax subsidies for all kinds of developers.
New Urbanism
Creative Class
Smart Growth
Global warming
CO2 reduction
Mixed use
Light Rail
Mass transit as a social good instead of as welfare.
Selling land below cost to developers

Sixty thousand downtown jobs have been lost in the last decade. We have built a world class transportation system that is basically designed to get people to and from downtown and the employment base has evaporated. We need leadership that understands business and economic development. For too many years now our leaders have confused housing developent with economic development.

The greatest example of this is south waterfront. What was supposed to be a mecca for high paying biotech jobs is is full of half empty condo towers. The promised benefits of the huge public investment there were specious.

And meanwhile, urban renewal pork for the chosen developer class has resulted in second rate schools, parks, roads and public safety services. It's just crazy.

"Talking points"? Mentioning two hugely expensive Sten blunders as well as listing his on-the-gravy-train Fat Cat contributors is considered a "talking point"? I call it a listing of facts. I simply can't understand why such drek as Sten are considered darlings when you can actually find much better so-called progressives (you know, the kind who might actually oppose building a stadium for a multi-millionaire like Paulson - but then, to most of them such a deal is considered New Urbanism and provides another example of "managing the economy" to obtain a "better" result than what Paulson on his own would do, so yeah, it fits in as a progressive idea).

Thanks, Chuck, for your perspective. Even after 8 years, and trying to pay close attention to the workings of City Hall, I still feel like I'm constantly learning who's who and what's what. I appreciate everyones' thoughts on the City Council and what they're all about, strengths, weaknesses, etc. I don't feel I get a good read on that by any local media, so it's here I turn. I'm not sure how it could be made better: how to bring what City officials are up to out to the people, but threads like this are helpful. thanks.

Seriously, folks, the reverend was making points that it's perfectly fair to challenge but some of the vitriol (Garret and ScaryTail in particular) is completely out of proportion to your perception of his transgressions and/or errors.

You know it's getting bad out there when people on a Blue Blog let Teabaggers set the standard for their discourse.

Interesting. I pointed out that anyone in the know about city hall knows the mayor is not mortally wounded and that statement was patently false. Keep in mind the recall campaign associated themselves with the likes of Lars Larson and Victoria Taft.

"That sure is what I want in a Mayor, Joe! "Too many people [who] were afraid of what would happen to them from Sam if they signed the ballot measure petition."

Has nothing to do with the mayor, and everything to do with the paranoia of those who claim to fear him (of which I don't actually know any or many who made their fears public; the recallers claimed it was so but never substantiated).

In any case, I should have clarified that the "apparent failure" reason was provided by Wurster--not one I actually buy. The apparent failure to me was that not enough Portlanders wanted to see him recalled, for it to make the ballot. I was pointing out the contradiction in the recallers' arguments, both of which they made: the mayor has lost his power; and the mayor is very powerful and that's why people aren't signing.

Maybe they're waiting for the holiday season to be over. That's never that good a time for this.

By the way, you claim that the reason the reall did not get enough sigs was because there aren't enough people willing to sign. Well, campaigns need funding, and this one was underfunded because Wurster sabotaged his own effort in a number of ways. Next time there'll be funding. Odd, I never heard you guys refusing any George Soros money for your own favorite petitions.

Well, campaigns need funding, and this one was underfunded because Wurster sabotaged his own effort in a number of ways. Next time there'll be funding.

True enough Bob. They will be funded. The thing is that this will be a little more high profile and I imagine when people start seeing the money seeping from socially conservative backers they may do a double take before signing a recall form.

TJ does have a great point. The hypocrisy is amazing. Recall advocates say there is no leadership and a void in power but they still fear that power so much that they blame much of the failure of their campaign on it.

I repeat. Nobody that works with the city council, reports on city hall, or has spent time in city hall thinks there is a leadership gap there.

I'm not trying to put words in his mouth but it seems like Rev. Currie is ticked off about the police and the fact that nobody can do anything about them. I get it. So am I. This problem has existed with city hall for years. Stretching even to the glory days Rev. Currie opines about. This city has a history of the police dept. being corrupt and having little regard for anything or anyone beyond their walls stretching back almost a hundred years. The thing is...what do you want anyone to do? The union is too strong. We can't just bust them up. Almost every city has the same problem with the thin blue line. I can't think of one I've spent time in that doesn't. If Rev. Currie has the magical solution that will fix all of this I suggest he gets out there and coughs it up rather than complaining about a city council that seems to be trying to figure out a way to fix things without a nuclear meltdown happening over at police headquarters and the union offices.

Portland is called the City of Roses for its proliferation of brightly hued blooms, but the color that best describes this city is green. Portland prides itself on being environmentally friendly, boasting an award-winning public transportation system, 277 miles of bike paths, and city planning that minimizes sprawl.

"Is this the same Bob voters kicked out of office who now runs the state GOP? Talk about failed leaders."

First of all, I think it's odd that you use a disclaimer to say that your views don't represent the church. So why do you feel the need to use your Rev. title? Do you feel it gives you more importance? And it's naive' of you to think using a disclaimer separates you from the church. It doesn't.

Secondly, the comment above that I quoted is completely beyond a man in church leadership. Where's the call to be "beyond reproach?" Because that sure doesn't suffice.

"didn't seem like he was too weak to be invited overseas by those leaders."

I think the office got him invited. Most of these confs are looking to pump up the numbers and will take any stray if he pays his own way.

Sam is doing what he can to stay out of the public eye hoping this sexual harrassament deal with Breedlove will blow over. Meanwhile he has a staf of 30 scurrying about generating PR to cover for any lack of direction now that the developers have fled.

I mean all this stuff (beyond the big lie, of course) about more jobs and better schools and infrastructure - so much chin music. Unless you can point out something of subsatance he done in the past year.

And please, Garrett, something besides the soccer stadium for Paulson.

I don't claim it as much as present it as demonstrable fact. That's how they ALL fail.

The fact that the campaign wasn't willing to prove they had 30,000 signatures should be pretty damning evidence there too. I observed one signature gatherer for almost 30 minutes at a Sunday Parkway gather absolutely no signatures and watched another for 15 minutes with the same result. That was supposed to be one of their big target areas. People were flat out ignoring them.

Garrett, that's 'coz people in Portland like weird and respond to weird. So, these signature gatherers need to change tactics:

Stand naked, with a used condom hanging out of your ass. Shout random obscenities directed at Bu$h (It doesn't matter that Bu$h isn't President, most of them don't know this)

The freaks, sissies, girlie men, bull dykes, progressives, commies, pedophiles, socialists, et al that make up Portland will automatically respond to this. They will sign w/o even reading what they are signing (much like how they vote).

Just some factual information for you Chuck. The ordinance that implemented the taxpayer financed elections in Portland requires the city to refer the measure in 2010. The language states "The Auditor is directed to prepare a Resolution, Measure and Ballot Title to refer the publicly financed campaign system to the voters at the November 2010 general election, and return such Resolution, Measure and Ballot Title to City Council by June 1, 2010."

So, before you dispare about the council's guts, you might want to read the ordinance.

Beside WWeek quoting Randy Leoanrd as saying he can run the city without being elected mayor.

The WWeek wrote a hit piece on Randy Leonard. They threw anything they may have heard out there and hoped something stuck. Nothing did.

Another symptom that practical progressives are dissed for the litmus tested, identity candidate. That is what Rev. Chuck is talking about. Concerned that he seems to list a few, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt...

The freaks, sissies, girlie men, bull dykes, progressives, commies, pedophiles, socialists, et al that make up Portland will automatically respond to this. They will sign w/o even reading what they are signing (much like how they vote).

Which really is not nearly as bad as the developers, real estate agents, rat mongers, evangelicals and assorted "community leaders" that run most councils in this country. You want real representation? Move were the land is worthless and everyone is sterile, or leave the US. You'll not see it in Portland.

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